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The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

  • SOURDOUGH RECIPES & RESOURCES

Homemade {Dairy-free} Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

May 17 By Renée 32 Comments

The Richest, Creamiest Dairy-free VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM Ever ~ Made with Coconut Milk!

Mr. B loves ice cream, and last year I splurged and bought him a new ice cream maker for his birthday.  (Well, to be perfectly honest, it was more for “our” birthdays – he’s only three days older than me.) It was definitely a great purchase!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.
Rich, Creamy, Dairy-free Vanilla Bean ICe Cream made with coconut milk | The Good Hearted Woman

Our oldest daughter is on a dairy-free diet right now, so when she came over for dinner the other night, I whipped up this delicious coconut milk-based ice cream. It never made it from the ice cream maker into the freezer – it was gone too fast! And it was scrumptious with the fresh berry compote I made last week!

Rich, Creamy, Dairy-free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream made with coconut milk | The Good Hearted Woman

Rich, Creamy, Dairy-free Vanilla Bean ICe Cream made with coconut milk | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 3 votes

Dairy-free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cups cane sugar
  • 2 13.5-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 whole vanilla bean
  • 2 tablespoons vodka

Instructions

  • Combine egg yolks, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a blender and process until smooth.
  • Pour mixture into a medium sauce pan, and heat over medium low just until steamy. DO NOT BOIL.
  • Slice vanilla bean down the middle, and scrape the inside into the hot coconut milk mixture. Whisk to combine. (I also put the vanilla bean pod in and fish them out before I put the ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker.)
  • Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a thin custard.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in the vodka. (This keeps the ice cream from getting too hard in the freezer. For alternative preparation, see note below.)
  • Refrigerate mixture about 2 hours, or until completely cold.
  • Pour mixture into ice cream freezer and prepare according to manufacturer’s directions.

Notes

Alternate "vodka-free" Preparation: 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract can be substituted in place of the vanilla bean and vodka.
Note that, if you are concerned about alcohol in your ice cream, vanilla extract contains as much alcohol as vodka. Either way, the vanilla extract or vodka MUST be added AFTER the mixture is taken off the stove. The alcohol helps to keep the ice cream from getting too hard.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

For soft-serve style ice cream, serve immediately. For a harder scoopable ice cream, place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Take out and place on the counter for 10 minutes to soften for serving.

Rich, Creamy, Dairy-free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream made with coconut milk | The Good Hearted Woman
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Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream {Dairy-free} | The Good Hearted Woman

Filed Under: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Sweets, Vegetarian Tagged With: coconut milk, eggs, ice cream, Sweet Somethings

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

August 4 By Renée 13 Comments

Delicate tapioca combines with banana and coconut cream to create a delightfully sweet finish in this Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}. 

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman

We first experienced Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (or Chè Chuối; pronounced “chair chewy”) while dining at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu. The delicate tapioca combined with banana and coconut cream created a delightfully sweet finish to a delicious and thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Mr. B and I paid careful attention to every dish we enjoyed in Hawaii, and when we returned home from our 10-day trip, we had a long list of recipes we wanted to recreate. Banana Tapioca Pudding, topped with velvety coconut cream, was second on our list. (First on the list? Those amazing Kahuku Shrimp!)

After a little research (and some trial and error), I’ve come up with a good reproduction of the original, albeit with a few significant alterations:

  • The version we enjoyed in Honolulu included Hawaiian Apple Bananas, which are difficult to find here in the PNW. This recipe calls for regular bananas, but if you have access to Apple Bananas, by all means use them instead. (Baby bananas can also be used.)
  • I believe that dessert we enjoyed in Hawaii had a thin layer of sweet rice between the tapioca and the coconut cream, but I chose to leave this out to simplify the process; however, it does add an additional, very pleasing textural element, so if you want to include the extra step, it might be worth the effort to you. 
  • I’ve also added a little toasted coconut, because it adds a lovely sweet crunch, and …. oh, who am I trying to impress? I just love toasted coconut!
Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

Inspired by a dessert served at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1/3 cup small tapioca pearls
  • 4 medium bananas
  • 1 – 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 Tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

  • Finely chopped peanuts or cashews
  • Toasted coconut See below
  • Mint leaves

Instructions

Preparing Coconut Cream & Milk: (This sounds WAY more complicated than it really is.)

  • You will need 3 small bowls for this. In the end, you will have one bowl of coconut milk with a little coconut cream in it for adding directly to the pudding, one bowl of coconut cream with a little coconut milk in it for topping the finished tapioca mixture, and one empty bowl. Proceed as follows:
  • Open the can of coconut milk. (DO NOT shake the can before opening.)
  • Bowl #1 - Pour out the thin coconut milk/liquid from the can into this bowl.
  • Bowl #2 - Scrape the coconut cream from the can into this bowl.
  • Bowl #3 - Measure out 1/2 cup coconut milk from Bowl #1 and put it in this empty bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream from Bowl # 2 and set aside.
  • Add the remaining coconut milk from Bowl #1 to the remaining coconut cream in Bowl #2. Stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. (Bowl #1 should now be empty.)

Prepare Pudding:

  • Cut bananas into ¾-1 inch pieces. Set aside.
  • In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tapioca and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tapioca nearly cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not overcook: at this point, the tapioca should be thick, and individual pearls should be clear on the outside, and have a very small dot of white in the middle.
  • Add the salt and the coconut milk mixture from Bowl #3 and to the tapioca stir to combine.
  • Increase heat to medium. When the tapioca mixture begins to simmer, add the banana pieces and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for until the bananas are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Stir in vanilla. Add sugar one or two teaspoons at a time, tasting between additions, until it is sweetened to your tastes.

Toasted Coconut:

  • Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman
  • To toast coconut, place ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut in a small ungreased non-stick pan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until coconut is lightly browned. Immediately remove from pan and cool on paper towels.

To Serve:

  • Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman
  • Distribute individual servings of banana-tapioca mixture into small bowls. Pour a thin layer of prepared coconut cream (from Bowl #2) over the top of each serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut, and mint leaves. Serve warm.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Note: If you want your garnishes to sit up on top of the coconut cream (instead of sinking into it), allow everything to cool a bit before you finish placing the toasted coconut, etc.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman

Filed Under: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Recipes, Sweets, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: bananas, coconut, coconut milk, Sweet Somethings

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe}

July 14 By Renée 10 Comments

Yesterday, I told you all about my new sun-brella, so today I thought I would share an umbrella of a different kind! One of the things I loved most about our Hawaiian holiday was all the fresh fruit, and this island-inspired smoothie is deliciously refreshing, no matter where you are.

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

This recipe makes enough for at least 4 servings.

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 1 vote

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie

Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Beverage
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 mangoes peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1/2 ripe banana frozen
  • 1 1/2 cups ice cubes
  • 2-3 tablespoons sugar to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Beginning with pineapple juice, layer ingredients in blender in order. Puree until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses, and garnish with fresh mint (and a little umbrella if you want to get fancy).
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Tip: When your bananas get a little too ripe, peel them and put them in the freezer. Great for just about any smoothie, they both add flavor and cut down on the need for additional sweeteners.

Filed Under: Beverages, Gluten-free, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: bananas, coconut milk, mangoes, pineapple, Summer

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